Mechanism for turning on a porch light when a doorbell is rung



Sept. 6, 1949.

J. E. M NXEL 2,481,137 MECHANISM FOR TURNING ON A PORCH LIGHT I WHEN ADOORBELL IS RUNG Filed Dec. 8, 1948 dflMES E. M w/a, I 1

HTTOQNEV Patented Sept. 6, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I Q NG ONAPOCfl LIGHT! HE A BE L' S RU -"G James E. M cNiel, Alhambra, Calif.Application oeoanhe 8, 1948 Se i osane 4 clai s; (01.3'15-86) M h ent ore ote to meeh h mt urn ng on a o ch l h when a doo bell i oh The u inon o he or h l ht at th t m tha he o be s uns wi l ena he occu ant ofthe ho se to mo e or s h insin th e before he o en he i o Anothe bieet oh s inv n io i t Prov i umi t n o a e urn n ouseh der to se th ke o e ndos -t hi own hey he oor A other eature f th inve tion is vthat 1- moy bedis onnected du in the day me. .o; t he o nt a out o t w so ther n in ofth oo e lou i s those e iod wil no ur on the light.

Other o j s nd ad anta e o my nvention a wi be p a en f om the ol o ihs.cle eri and a s the horelt oo tihe i the eat r of c s c n. om in ion oDarts; the uniqu e a ons o the mem ers and th relati e on portioning,disposition and operation thereof, all as is more completely outlinedherein and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this presentspecification I have provided a diagrammatic showing of my invention,together with sectional showing of the mechanism to actuate he e ec rcal ci cu t Referring to the drawings, the preferred embodiment of mydoorbell ligh't comprises an .opt side push button H), a "bell, l2 and aporch light 14 with the connecting mechanism described below.

The outside push button H1 is adjustably connected to a plunger [6 whichis arranged to act against the force of a spring l8 mounted in asuitable housing 20. The outer end of the housing is closed by a plug 22which is mounted flush with the outer end of the housing 29.

Thus the distance between the outer face of plug 22 and the undersurface of push button :0 may be varied by the distance push button itis screwed into plunger iii to fit the varying thickness of house wallsor plaster coatings.

The other end of plunger I6 is attached to a striker 24. When theoutside push button H3 is depressed against the force of spring Is, itcauses striker 24 to contact a movable contact member 26 and force itinto contact with a stationary contact member 28. Contact of thesemembers 26 and 28 with each other closes the electrical. circuit whichcauses the bell l2 to operate. When the operator withdraws his pressurefrom the outside push button I0, the spring I8 pulls back the plunger l6and with it the striker 2 thus permitting the movable contact member 28to 2 sp i ook ou o .eoh ao ith the stat nary ntact m mbe 8 Th s stop thbel from ringing.

When the t de p sh att n and its ato ed pl n 1 an strike 2. a e depresed it also causes striker 24 to strike control lever 30 which s a achedto rotata e sha t Spring means 4 s ure t at, wh n t ike v2. strikescontrol lever 30 and moves it a slight distance rota a le sha t .32 isrotated umoi th' o us m nua swi ch ooo oo 3 hich is integrally t ched torotatab sh t 32 t mo out of contact with manual switch 3'! and to causeautomatic switch contact 38 to move into contact with automatic switch39.

In the position shown in the drawings, manual switch contact 36 is incontact with manual switch 31 thereby osin the o o i be ween w r and 42.In this Position it is possible to actuate switches 44 and 45 from theopen position shown to a position where they establish a contact betweenwires Y 0 and Y42 hereby turn n on l h b the nua operati n .of' w t he44 a d .45 wh c ere y es a is es co a be w en wire 48 and 50 throughlight L4.

n t e othe hand re .5? an m be connected by the closing of switchcontact 33 again t au oma ic s i c 39 when o tsid push button n s r s eas poin ed o t herei above.

Mon el s i h 44 a d ma e rota ed so that they contact points 56 and 58to establish contact and circuit connection between wires 40 and 42 whenmanual switch contact 36 is in can tact with manual switch 31. Alsomanual switches 44 and 46 may be rotated out of contact with points 56and 58 and into contact with points 5!! and 62 to establish a circuitbetween wires 52 and 54 when automatic switch contact 38 is closedagainst automatic switch 39. In performing these movements manualswitches 44 and 46 rotate on their pivots B4 and 66.

After light M has been turned on by depressing outside push button [0 inthe manner described hereinabove, if it is desired to return the mechanism to the condition in which it was before outside push button It! wasdepressed, the occupant of the house can depress inside push button 68which is connected to plunger 10 that is mounted against the action ofspring 12 in housing 14. A suitable plug 18 closes the opening ofhousing 14 and fits flush against the inner wall of the house. A striker18 is integrally mounted at the other end of plunger 10.

Thus when inside push button 68 is depressed against the action ofspring 12, it causes striker 18 to strike control lever 30 and rotate itand rotatable shaft 32 to its former position. This will cause automaticswitch contact 38 to move out of contact with automatic switch 39 andwill cause manual switch 36 to move into contact with manual switch 31in the position shown in the drawings accompanying this application.

Thus it will be seen that depressing outside push button will cause bellI2 to ring and light l4 to be lit when manual switches 44 and 46 areclosed into contact with points 60 and 62. When this is done light [4will remain on until the automatic mechanism is reset by depressinginside push button 68, or the system is changed from automatic to manualby moving manual switches 44 and 46 out of contact with points 60 and 62and into contact with points 56 and 58. In the latter case of course,push button 68 must be depressed to cause manual switch contact 35 tocome into contact with manual switch 31 and place the system on a manualoperation basis.

or course, other uses for my mechanism will be apparent and my inventionis not limited to the particular use shown and described in thisapplication.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown anddescribed is my preferred embodiment and that various changes in theshape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention, or from the scope of theappended claims.

I claim: 7

1. An electric light and bell system comprising a shaft rotatable from afirst position to a second position, an arm secured 'to said shaft, afirst push button and a first striker positioned to engage said arm androtate said shaft from said first position to said second position whensaid first push button is pressed, a second push button and a secondstriker positioned to engage said arm and rotatesaid shaft from saidsecond position to said first position when said second push button ispressed, a bell, a bell circuit, a normally open switch insaid bellcircuit positioned to be actuated by said first striker to close saidbell circuit while said first push button is depressed, a lamp, a lampcircuit and a switch contact secured to said shaft and positioned toclose said lamp circuit when said shaft is in said second position.

2. A system as described in claim 1 in which is included means forindependently closing said lamp circuit while said shaft is in firstposition.

3. An electric switch system comprising a shaft rotatable from a firstposition to a second position, an arm secured to said shaft, a firstpush button and a first striker positioned to engage said arm and rotatesaid shaft from said first position to said second position when saidfirst push button is pressed, a second push button and a second strikerpositioned to engage said arm and rotate said shaft from said secondposition to said first position when said second push button is pressed,a normally open switch positioned to be actuated by said first strikerto close said switch while said first push button is depressed, a switchcontact secured to said shaft, and a pair of contacts positioned to bebridged by said switch contact when said shaft is in said secondposition.

4. An electric switch system comprisin a shaft rotatable from a firstposition to a second position, an arm secured to said shaft, a firstpush button and a first striker positioned to engage said arm and rotatesaid shaft from said first position to said second position when saidfirst push button is pressed, a second push button and a second strikerpositioned to engage said arm and rotate said shaft from said secondposition to said first position when said second push button is pressed,a normally open switch positioned to be actuated by said first strikerto close said switch while said first push button is depressed, a firstswitch contact secured to said shaft, a first pair of contactspositioned to be bridged by said first switch contact While said shaftis in said second position, a second switch contact secured to saidshaft, and a second pair of con-' tacts positioned to be bridged by saidsecond switch contact while said shaft is in said first position. JAMESE. McNIEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of'this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS v 7 Date Levine Mar. 9, 1943

